The next month was the most painful memory in Nico's life, and also the one with the greatest gains.
He woke up at five every morning to meditate for two hours.
Following Leo's instructions, Nico sat cross-legged on a large rock at the edge of the wetland, closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and cleared his mind.
At seven in the morning, after a simple meal of dry rations, he began physical training.
Weighted running, push-ups, pull-ups, frog jumps... Leo's training list was detailed to an appalling degree, with every item precise down to the number of repetitions and sets.
Nico trained until he was exhausted every day, his hands shaking when he ate dinner at night.
The afternoon was for combat technique Cultivation.
Leo personally stepped in to teach him, Move by Move.
It wasn't flashy Moves, but the most fundamental things—the way to exert force when punching, the angle of a kick, the timing of a block, and the rhythm of dodging.
Nico was knocked down time and time again, and climbed back up time and time again.
The evening was for reflection and meditation.
Leo would have him review the day's training, identify shortcomings, and then continue meditating.
Days went by.
Nico's changes were visible to the naked eye.
His body became sturdy, and muscle definition began to appear.
His gaze became sharp, no longer timid as it was before.
His steps became steady, each one planted firmly.
One month later. Leo stood at the edge of the wetland, watching Nico training in the distance.
His movements were now decent, his punches powerful, his dodging agile; he was like a completely different person compared to a month ago.
But it wasn't enough; Leo called Nico over.
"Starting today," he said.
"You are to go deep into the wetland alone to hunt."
Nico was stunned.
"Hunt? Hunt what?"
"The creatures in the wetland," Leo explained calmly.
"Human-faced Apes, Sassy Strawberry Turtles, Lazy Frogs, and even more powerful things. You go yourself, find them yourself, and kill them yourself."
Nico's expression changed.
To go deep into that perilous wetland alone and hunt those ferocious creatures he had only heard of in Leo's descriptions—but in the next second, he nodded vigorously.
"I understand."
He turned, shouldered his pack, and walked into the wetland without looking back.
Leo watched his back disappear into the mist; he would follow in the shadows to observe.
Another month passed.
When Nico appeared before Leo again, he was covered in blood, his clothes were tattered, but his eyes were startlingly bright.
Behind him, he dragged a huge carcass—a King Crocodile over four meters long, its body covered in hard scales, its bloody maw filled with sharp teeth.
"Grandmaster Leo!" Nico's voice was hoarse but full of strength.
"I killed it!"
Leo stood up and walked over to examine the King Crocodile's carcass.
The fatal wound was to the head—a single punch that pierced the skull, clean and efficient.
He nodded and looked at Nico.
Standing before him was no longer the timid little fatty from three months ago.
Nico's physique had completely changed.
The originally loose flab had disappeared, replaced by tight muscles that were clearly defined under his tattered clothes.
He had also grown at least five centimeters taller, his shoulders had broadened, and his back was straight.
His face was full of the glow of confidence, and his gaze was firm and steady.
"Very good," Leo said.
"You now have the strength to reach the 200th floor. Training is over."
Nico was stunned for a moment, then bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your guidance, Grandmaster Leo!"
He looked up, something flickering in his eyes.
Leo didn't say much more and turned to walk out of the wetland.
"Let's go. Back we go."
Three days later, Heavens Arena.
Leo and Nico stepped out of the elevator.
The corridor on the 200th floor was bustling with people; quite a few contestants recognized Leo and cast glances his way.
"Go on," Leo said to Nico.
"Continue the matches and reach the 200th floor."
Nico nodded vigorously. "Yes!"
He turned and left, his steps firm.
Leo watched his back disappear around the corner, then walked toward the registration desk on the 200th floor.
The staff member behind the counter saw him, and their eyes lit up slightly.
"Mr. Leo! Are you here to compete?"
Leo nodded. "Register me."
The staff member quickly operated the computer, and a few seconds later, their expression became somewhat awkward.
"Uh... Mr. Leo, because you haven't competed for over three months, you were automatically defaulted on a match a few days ago. Your current record is eight wins and three losses."
Leo nodded slightly. Eight wins, three losses. If he lost one more match, the accumulated wins would be wiped out, and he would need to start over from zero to get ten wins.
"Arrange a match," he said. "As soon as possible."
The staff member nodded and handed over a form, which Leo filled out and returned.
"Understood! We will match you with an opponent as soon as possible."
Three days later, the 225th-floor arena.
Leo's opponent was an Emitter, in his thirties, lean, and had been fighting on the 200th floor for a year with a record of five wins and three losses.
He stood at the other end of the ring, staring at Leo with a vigilant gaze—clearly, he knew of Leo.
The referee announced the start.
The opponent immediately created distance, waving his hands repeatedly, and Nen Bullets shot over like raindrops!
Leo did not dodge; he activated "Ken," and the Nen Bullets hit him without even breaking his skin.
He took a step forward and walked toward his opponent.
The opponent's face changed drastically, he retreated frantically, and the Nen Bullets became even denser!
Leo continued to walk, unhurried.
Those Nen Bullets were no different from a light drizzle to him.
Three seconds later, he walked up to his opponent.
The opponent gritted his teeth, gathered all his Nen, and blasted a Nen Bullet of maximum power toward Leo's face!
Leo raised his hand and swatted it away casually.
The Nen Bullet was swatted away like a ball and exploded above the ring.
The opponent was stunned.
Leo's fist arrived at this moment.
Bang! A simple punch, imprinted on the opponent's abdomen.
The opponent's eyes bulged, his body curled into a shrimp, his feet left the ground, he flew backward five meters, smashed heavily against the edge of the ring, and couldn't get up again.
The referee counted down and declared Leo the winner. Nine wins, three losses.
Seven days later, Leo easily secured the last victory, successfully achieving ten wins.
The opponent was a Conjurer, whose ability was to conjure a giant axe, possessing long-range attack capabilities and the ability to release flames.
Unfortunately, the temperature of the flames wasn't high enough; Leo wrapped himself in "Ken," endured the burning, and shattered the axe with a single punch.
Then, the second punch successfully KO'd the opponent.
There were no longer any opponents on the entire 200th floor who could make Leo fight seriously.
After securing ten wins, Leo went to the registration desk to apply for a Floor Master challenge.
Each floor from 230 to 250 is owned by a Floor Master.
In addition, one can also participate in the biennial Battle Competition; if one wins, they can Move into the top floor—the 251st floor.
Since there are Floor Masters on floors 230 to 250, Leo needs to defeat one of them to become a new Floor Master.
After Leo filled out the application form, he returned to his room to wait patiently.